Shahid Screenplay

137 Pages·2013·0.24 MB·English

® all rights reserved
"Based on a True Story"
Directed by Hansal Mehta
1.
1 EXT. SHAHID'S OFFICE - DAY 1
We see an office with its door closed. On the side of the
door is a printout with the following quote :
" By showing me injustice, he taught me to love justice. by
teaching me what pain and humiliation were all about, he
awakened my heart to mercy... Fight against prejudice, battle
the oppressors, support the underdog..."
2 OPENING TITLES/MONTAGE - 2009 2
Different youtube video streams. Fanatic faces in various
live situations are captured in the video streams.
These are Intercut with violent, grainy and ultra slow motion
visuals from Mumbai riots and blasts....
The first fanatic speech is set in a massive public rally.
FANATIC 1
Kaun hai rey hai yeh Shahid Azmi?
samajhta kya hai apne aap ko?
Saale ko Pakistan bhejo. Shivaji
maharaj ke baare mein ulta
bolnewaale ko nikaalo yahaan se.
Aise bhadwon ko yahan nahin rahne
denge hum.
The second fanatic speech is a television interview with a
seedy television channel.
FANATIC 2
Shahid Azmi ek terrorist hai jo
jail mein tha. Ab jail se bahar
aakar doosre terrorist ko bachata
hai. Sharm aati hai apne system
pe, jo Azmi jaise sabse ghatiya
darze ke aadmi ko lawyer banne se
rok nahin sakti. Saalon ko arrest
karte hi maar kyon nahin dete?
The third fanatic speech is a man in white robes with a soft
manner seated on a large throne like chair made out of silver
and upholstered with red suede.
FANATIC 3
Advocate shahid azmi, tum logon
ko Gandhi ne sahuliyat di rahne
ki…Usko tum log adhikaar samajhne
lage… Gandhi ne jo bhul ki thi
azaadi ke samay usko hum abhi tak
bhugat rahein hain.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
2.
2 CONTINUED: 2
FANATIC 3 (CONT'D)
Par aur nahin. Saala yahin ka
khata hai aur wahan ke gun gaata
hai..Toh jaa na saaley Pakistan…
(long pause)
Gaand mein jab bada bamboo
daaalenge na muhajir bolke toh
royega.
Last shot of a blast. Intercut the above with flashes of
SHAHID walking in the corridor of the Mumbai high-court.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
3 EXT. MUMBAI/ MUMBAI HIGH COURT - DAY - 2009 3
Establishing shot of Mumbai : High Court.
4 INT. COURT ROOM - DAY - 2009 4
We see a court in procedure. We see around, with the
Prosecutor standing and presenting his views...Not audible.
We see the defense lawyer sitting and listening attentively.
This is SHAHID AZMI. We pan across to the man in the dock
FAHIM ANSARI and slowly we move to the Judge.
JUDGE
Defense.
Prosecutor sits. Shahid stands to make his statement.
SHAHID
Your Honour, Office colleagues ki
baat karein ya padosiyon ki, koi
is baat par yakin nahin karta.
Yeh, mere client ke co workers jo
Dubai mein uske saath kaam karte
thay, unka ek letter addressed to
you. Police mein koi record bhi
nahin hai inka.
JUDGE
Public Prosecutor.
Shahid sits.
(CONTINUED)
3.
4 CONTINUED: 4
PROSECUTOR
Defence ke is baat se main sahmat
hoon ki inki local Police mein
koi record nahin. Haan yeh Rampur
jail mein zaroor thay yahan aaney
se pahle.
SHAHID
Your honour, Prosecution jis
arrest ki baat kar raha hai woh
case Uttar pradesh ka hai. Hum
aaj yahan ke case ki discussion
kar rahein hain.
PROSECUTOR
Woh bhi terrorism ka hi case hai.
Your honour, main yeh kah raha
hoon ki inka past, inke present
aur future par roshni zaroor dalta
hai. Yeh jail mein tha. Isse ek
baat zaroor saaf hoti hai- inka
anti social bent.
SHAHID
Jab yeh saaf hai ki dono mein koi
co-relation nahin hai?
PROSECUTOR
(silent)
SHAHID
Shivaji.. bhi thay, jail mein.
Kya Woh bhi anti social thay?
PROSECUTOR
(jumps up, enraged)
Defense is baat ko kahan se kahan
le jaa rahi hai. Aap ek terror
accused ki tulna ek aitihasik
vyaktitva ke saath kaise kar sakte
hain?
SHAHID
Not comparing. Main bas yeh pooch
raha hoon ki agar aaj is katghare
mein Shivaji maharaj khade hote
toh kya aap faisla unke is case
kay evidence ko dekh ke lete ya
phir ye dekhke ki past mein woh
jail mein thay?
(CONTINUED)
4.
4 CONTINUED: (2) 4
The defense is answer less. We pan across to see a man making
a phone call just outside the court room.
5 EXT. COURT - DAY - 1993 5
Shahid is walking in the alley with his friend, Ramanathan..
RAMANATHAN
Kabhi sun bhi liya kar doston ki
baat, Shahid.
SHAHID
Ram, sun..
They start walking down the stairs..
RAMANATHAN
Main nahin sununga. your highness
ko pata chalne de..
Shahid smiles.
SHAHID
Yaar... keep her out of this...
please ussey mat bataana...
They reach the bottom of the staircase where a group of 4
men is waiting for them. They circle Shahid..
RAMANATHAN
Kya ho raha hai yeh.
FIRST MAN
Saalya, chutiya..tu bol kaise
shakat rey..
SHAHID
Kya?
SECOND MAN
Bharat ki shaan hai..Shivaji
Maharaj..
THIRD MAN
Saala atankwadi madharchod...
Tere ko kya lagta hai? kuch bhi
bakwas karega aur hum log sun lenge?
Fourth man takes his collar in his hand, paints his face
black.The rest use their legs and hands.Ramanathan yells for
help. The group runs away.
(CONTINUED)
5.
5 CONTINUED: 5
Shahid is breathing with difficulty. Ramanathan makes him
sit and pats him on his back..
RAMANATHAN
Are you ok?
SHAHID
Haan..
We see Shahid's face painted black as we go closer to his
face...
6 EXT. SRINAGAR - NIGHT - 1992 6
FLASHBACK A BEGINS. Pitch dark, moonless night. Shahid, 18
crossing the POK border with a group. They are clad in a
pathani and a shawl. Hidden underneath these shawls are AK
47 of which we get a sneak peek. Shahid is terrified. They
cross the border. 5 of the lot kiss the soil as Shahid
watches them, in his own deep thought. They start walking,
next meet a Pakistani army major who is there with a jeep.
Sun is rising as they pray. It is one of the best sunrises
Shahid has seen, he takes deep breaths and feels really
charged up. Smiles.
SUPER : Bombay, 06/12/1992.
7 INT. SHIVAJI NAGAR, SHAHID'S HOUSE - NIGHT - 1992 7
Shahid is in his room on the first floor...Khalid is asleep
while his younger brother RASHID is reading a book..Opens
the window, looks out..He sees a man pouring kerosene in a
house next lane...Shahid isn't sure about what the man is up
to but keeps looking as the man moves away...Man comes back
and throws a burning kerosene bottle and starts running...
Shahid runs down the staircase and gets out of the
backdoor...Arif and mother yell in unison asking him to
stop...Arif runs to the door and stands there...Mother comes
to the door to see Smoke in the air.
8 EXT. SHIVAJI NAGAR STREET - NIGHT - 1992 8
Smoke gets heavier as Shahid crosses and reaches the street...
He goes near the house on fire..as he is about to turn for
the door...3 adults and a child aged about 10 years on fire,
run out...Shahid stands their stunned for a second...starts
coughing with the thick smoke...
He looks on the outer street to see a procession of radicals
on the main road....they are armed with swords and are
forcing people out...of their houses...
(CONTINUED)
6.
8 CONTINUED: 8
Very soon there is mayhem on the entire stretch with houses
on fire, people screaming, running helter-skelter and mixed
cries of women, children and men.
In fear Shahid turns back and with great difficulty runs
towards his house..
9 INT. SHIVAJI NAGAR, SHAHID'S HOUSE - NIGHT - 1992 9
Shahid comes back and starts knocking...
Mother and Arif sit near the window. Its dark inside...Shahid
continues knocking and starts yelling that its him...Arif
stands but mother forces him to sit. Arif cant take it
anymore...opens the window and ask him to come from the main
door...Shahid runs...Arif rushes down...mother follows...Arif
opens and Shahid gets inside, and Arif just looks outside to
see if anyone was watching and closes the door..Mother starts
slapping Shahid continuously before she breaks down, Arif
keeps her from losing balance. Shahid is silent - seething
and fearful.
10 EXT. MUMBAI STREET - LATE AFTERNOON - 1992 10
We go past an electronic store with multiple television sets.
One of the televisions is broadcasting the news. We see
footage showing the demolition of Babari Masjid by the Hindu
kar sewaks...
FLASHBACK-B ENDS
11 EXT. OUTSIDE THE CAMP - DAY - 1993 11
A whole group is escorted to the camp. Shahid smiles to break
the ice. Only RAFIQ responds. The camp is located in the
middle of nowhere. An air of nothingness in the air. Shahid
waits outside the camp with the others.
12 EXT. OUTSIDE CAMP - DAY - 1993 12
A day passes, group is getting impatient with time ticking
away. We see the changing sky while Shahid and RAFIQ exchange
a glance at each other.
RAFIQ
Lagta hai humein dono partner
honge andar. Iii saala sab toh
apne mein laga rahega.
SHAHID
Pahle andar to jaayein..
(CONTINUED)
7.
12 CONTINUED: 12
RAFIQ
Kahan se ho?
SHAHID
Bombay. Shahid naam hai mera...
RAFIQ
Hum ko lag gaya tha.
SHAHID
Aap?
RAFIQ
Gorakhpur. Rafiq...
SHAHID
Main jagah nahin, wajah pooch
raha tha?
RAFIQ
Sab abhi jaan loge?
SHAHID
Aap hi ne kaha tha hum partner hain.
A man walks out to the gate and yells at Shahid and Rafiq to
go and sit with the rest of group.
13 EXT. CAMP - DAY - 1993 13
A man comes out and directs them to walk behind him. Next,
they are in a room with a trainer. The trainer has a desk in
front of him with small boxes.
COMMANDER
Apne Paise aur jevar in dabbon
mein rakho..Kisi ke paas passport
hai?
Waits for a reaction...All in the group shake their heads...
Shahid goes first. Everyone follows suit. The last man to go
is a Kashmiri who is wearing a chain with a locket...He takes
out money and keeps it in the box...Turns back to go to his
seat....
COMMANDER (CONT'D)
Ruko..
He turns...
COMMANDER (CONT'D)
Behre ho?
(CONTINUED)
8.
13 CONTINUED: 13
He is zapped for an answer....
COMMANDER (CONT'D)
Goonge bhi?
KASHMIRI
(Hesitant)
Nahin Janaab...
COMMANDER
(Leans and pulls out
the chain he is
wearing)
Toh phir yeh...
KASHMIRI
Kya main yeh chain...
COMMANDER
(Interrupts)
Mauj lene aaye ho yahaan?
KASHMIRI
Main nahin de sakta...
COMMANDER
Daffa ho jao phir...
(Picks out the cash)
Lo, isse bhi le jao...
KASHMIRI
Janaab...
COMMANDER
Aagey Kya karoge, Abhi se dikh
raha hai....
Kashmiri takes out the chain and reluctantly puts it down in
the box.
Shahid and the group observe.
14 EXT. SHIVAJI NAGAR, OUTSIDE SHAHID'S HOUSE - LATE 14
AFTERNOON - 1992
FLASHBACK B BEGINS
A man, MEHBOOB, sweating profusely is walking with a shabby
looking container. Two cops stop him.
CONSTABLE GAITONDE
Kahaan jaa raha hai be...
(CONTINUED)
9.
14 CONTINUED: 14
MEHBOOB
Pakhane mein...
INSPECTOR VAZE
Pakhane?
MEHBOOB
Sandaas saab...
CONSTABLE GAITONDE
Aise bol na... pakistani mein
kaayko baat karta hai...
MEHBOOB
Saab.zor ki lagi hai.jaane do na.
SECOND COP
Sun...
MALE
Jee saab
SECOND COP
Saade teen baje sandaas jaa raha
hai?
MALE
Saab, Ab ispe kisika zor hai?
The man continues on his journey towards the toilet, bottle
in hand.
FIRST COP
Ruk na...
Man stops and looks back
FIRST COP (CONT'D)
Kya khana khaya re... bata na...
MALE
Mutton...
SECOND COP
Biryani?
MALE
Naa...
FIRST COP
Suar ka?
(CONTINUED)